Got a big surprise reading the Herald Sun at the airport when I saw the below clip on my up coming swim. Thanks to the guilty party...we know who you are!
Inevitably, a short paragraph in the paper can't properly acknowledge everyone who has helped me get to this point in the journey. I think most people think of long distance swimming as a pretty lonely endeavour (and whilst some of the training might be) in reality nothing is further from the truth. This is a major team activity.
I have had support and advice and encouragement from so many including:
- The Black Ice Icebergers swimming club and all the members, especially Alby and Peter Bardoel (Brothers) with so much Channel swimming experience between them,
- Melbourne Vicentre swimming club and its coaches, CEO and President
- Robert Butcher coach at Melbourne Grammar Aquatics, whose 5km squad sessions nearly always kill me, but I always feel proud when I finish them
- And especially John Van Wisse coach and Australian marathon swimming legend whose contagious enthusiasm just motivates me and whose advice has been invaluable to me over 3 years of open water training and squad sessions
- Bill Dooley from Made to Move fitness, my long term personal trainer and mate (and legend marathon runner)
- And all my mates, who own boats, have sat on boats (Jappy), are coming to the UK (Fraser..thanks!!!), paddled beside me (Greg my brother for two 20km Rottos without a rest), swam with me (so many), massages (Brad, Stawell Gift future champion) and other friends who have just been so bloody supportive of this escapade.
